An article recently published reported that two-thirds of consumers are spending less on non-essentials, and more than half are shopping around before committing.

So what's the play for brands in the face of all this adversity? It'll take an extra bit of holiday seasoning to tailor their strategy in order to get results that'll serve as a cause for festive cheer. To help marketers along, here's a short checklist of recommendations to tick off in the lead-up to the holidays.